Happy Holidays:  Halloween Edition
by nekkidboothinc
Summary: Coincidentally..or not...Booth and Brennan each meet a sexy stranger at a costume party.  Will they give into the mystery?
1. Creating a Mystery

**A/N: ****Okay kiddies, here's the skinny: in the past few months, SSJL and Kinsey Jo (that's us!) discovered that we were separated at birth! We know, exciting, right? Unfortunately, it's not TRUE, but we powered through and became bffffs (best fanfic friends forever!). We have enormous respect for each other's immense talent (and incredible modesty…and appreciation of DB's body parts), and because we love all of you SO DAMN MUCH, we have decided to collaborate for you. Yay, right? This series will follow everyone's favorite forensic anthropologist and her knight in standard-issue FBI armor through a year's worth of holidays, and a year of falling in love. Say it with us now, awww! A gift for you guys, from us every holiday -- each one with a big ol' smutty bow on top. Enjoy! **

**XOXO, Kinsey Jo and SSJL (Nekkid Booth Inc.)**

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Temperance Brennan had little affinity for holidays. At the very worst, they gave people an excuse to miss work, which was frustrating to her because she _loved _her work and resented the days she spent alone in the labs because of the superstitions of others. At their best, they were the fodder of superficial discussions that didn't interest her; she didn't send Valentine's cards, or pass out Halloween candy. These were just like any other days, in her world.

She didn't like holidays, but she _did _love her friend Angela Montenegro. And Ange liked holidays very much, and she liked _celebrating _them in the most festive ways possible. Which is why, after an extended period of begging and pleading and guilt-tripping that Brennan hadn't gone with her to a party in almost _three months, _Brennan finally caved and agreed to go to a haunted house party on the evening of October 31st. And why she submitted to a costuming job which was turning out to be much more elaborate than anything she ever would have agreed to had she known what Angela intended.

"Are you sure this will come out?" she asked worriedly, bent over the sink while her friend's hands worked through her hair.

"Yes. It's entirely temporary. Stop squirming."

"I don't believe that black hair is the best complement to my features."

"The features _we _are going to be accentuating…it won't matter what color your hair is. But it will definitely complete the look. Here, done." Finished with the rinse, she wrapped a towel around Brennan's head and helped her back into a standing position. "Now go blow-dry so we can get to the good part."

As she walked towards her bedroom, she called back, "So will we know anyone at this party?"

Angela sighed impatiently. "I don't know, Sweetie. The fun of these parties is that you go and try to figure out if you know people while they have their costumes on. It's always a surprise."

"I think I'd have a better time if I knew who I was partying with."

"Brennan…could you stop being so…_yourself…_just for a night? We're going to have a good time, I promise. Remember, we talked about this…you _need _this."

Ange was probably right, she thought as she dried her hair. She had been feeling tightly-wound lately, even more so than usual, although she couldn't pinpoint exactly why. It seemed that ever since Jack and Angela's failed wedding, when she was left standing at the altar with her partner and Jack's best man, Seeley Booth, she had felt a little tense. Off. Yes, it wouldn't hurt her to relax a little bit.

Her hair dry, she regarded herself in the mirror. It was definitely a change; the sleek black of her hair now stood in stark contrast to her pale skin and light eyes. It was rather exotic-looking, she had to admit. Her outfit was laid out on her bed; she reached for the mask lying on top and studied it before holding it to her face. It was black and feathery and cat-like, and it covered the entire upper portion of her face. Initially, she had thought that the mask was intended to make her look like a housecat, but looking at it now, with the new hair, she felt distinctly leopard-like; a little sexy. Nobody was going to be able to recognize her tonight. A slow smile spread across her face at this thought. Maybe this night was going to be more fun than she had originally thought.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The basic element to most holidays was mystery. How does Santa get all the way around the world in one night on Christmas Eve? Who is Cupid going to pop in the heart with an arrow on Valentine's Day? And just who in the hell is behind the mask on Halloween?

"You want me to _what_?" Seeley Booth asked incredulously.

"C'mon, Man. It's a party. It's supposed to be _fun._ Not the Bataan Death March."

"Dressing up like a schmuck in tights is not my idea of fun, Hodgins."

Jack held up his hands defensively. "Costume, Booth. I said _costume_. You made the leap to tights all by yourself, there, Batman."

Seeley blushed. "C'mon. I'm an FBI agent. What else would I go as besides the Caped Crusader?"

Jack laughed. "Nice try. You want tights, wear tights. Just tell me you'll be there so I can tell Angela."

"Bones going?"

"You think Angie would let her out of it? She's going. You're going. We'll drink, we'll laugh, c'mon, Dude."

"I don't know…" Seeley began, still hesitant. "And for Christ's sake Hodgins, where would I get a costume in a _day_?"

"Dude, please. I'm begging you. Angie said it would make her 'so incredibly happy'," Jack quoted. "And if she's not happy…"

"I get it."

"Please. As my best man. It's your duty."

"Fine," Seeley acquiesced. "But you better not plan on playing that best man card for the rest of our lives," he finished with a serious scowl.

"Of course not. Totally slipped out. Won't happen again," Jack cleared his throat in an attempt to sound serious, but he had to bite his bottom lip to keep from grinning.

Two hours later, Seeley was digging through his closet looking for something at least semi-respectable to wear to this haunted house thing. He'd already scoured half the costume shops in DC and unless he wanted to go as a mummy (boring), Darth Vader (overdone), or a giant banana (what?!), he was going to have to get creative.

_C'mon, Seel. Think. You're FBI. Lawman. Serve and protect._ And then another idea hit him. Old west bank robber. The antithesis to any good lawman. No one would have any idea it was him. He went across the hall to his son's room where he was pretty sure he'd find the red and black bandana they'd covered Parker's curls with the weekend before when they'd been helping Rebecca paint her kitchen. He found the paisley-printed scarf folded in a square in the top drawer of Parker's dresser and took it back across the hall with him and set it on top of his own dresser. He opened the bottom drawer of the dresser and pulled out six or seven pairs of carefully folded Lucky jeans to the one pair of green-label Cinch jeans he knew to be tucked away in the bottom of the drawer. Booth never thought the day would come when he'd mentally thank Rebecca for her short interest in line dancing. Because of it, he also knew there to be a couple plaid shirts with pearl snaps, a pair of Ariat cowboy boots, and a white straw Resistol cowboy hat stashed in the back of his closet. He dug to the back until he felt the cool cotton material of the shirts. Jackpot. He pulled a white one out and eyed it critically, wondering if he could pull off the look. What the hell. Even if he couldn't, it was a friggin' costume party, and it would be dark. He pulled his teeshirt off and shrugged into the crisp cotton western shirt, closing the snaps it swiftly. He dropped his Luckys and his boxers, stepping into a pair of white boxer-briefs before pulling on the starched Cinches. He pulled the zipper shut over the "cinch up" label on the fly after he tucked in his shirt. Seeley reached in the dresser and grabbed a pair of white crew socks and pulled them on, padding softly to the closet to grab his boots. He pulled them on and stacked the legs of his jeans down over the tops. Whipping his brown leather belt through his belt loops, he checked himself out in the mirror. _Lookin' good, Seel. You can totally pull this off._ He tucked the bandana in his back pocket, planning to tie it around his face later, finally grabbing the white Resistol off the top shelf and smashing it down over his spiky brown hair. He grabbed his keys off the dresser and the directions Hodgins had given him out of the back pocket of his jeans and he was ready.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N: Aww. Aren't they just so cute already!?**

**Stay tuned for more tomorrow! And btw…we are a special breed of writers we call 'review whores.' You are smart people and can figure out what that means. And respond accordingly;)**

**Love ya and see ya soon!**


	2. A Mysterious Stranger

**A/N: So fabulously excited that there are so many folks interested in our story! We are highly entertained by it ourselves:) Thanks so much for your support. Let's see what happens when our sexy cowboy and kitty go to the party…**

**Keep letting us know what you think!**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"See, isn't this amazing? Just look at everyone!"

Brennan had to admit that it was a fascinating scene; the house was packed with partygoers in costumes of all varieties, a study in mystery. "It's really incredible how the meaning of this holiday has changed, isn't it? In Gaelic culture, costuming was intended to bewilder the evil spirits that supposedly emerged on Halloween, so that they wouldn't run amok and damage their crops. Now, it seems all about entertainment, doesn't it? I wonder if the individuals participating in these traditions even know what they are celebrating."

Angela looked at her blankly. "Sweetie. Thinking too much. You look too hot tonight to be thinking so much."

For a moment, Brennan had almost forgotten that outwardly, she was as festive (if not more so) as the people around her. Maybe it was selective forgetting. She rarely walked around so exposed, even in her own apartment. The super-short skirt, the skin-tight top, the 3 1/2-inch stilettos that made her feel as if she were walking on a tightwire…but, her face was almost completely disguised by the feathery mask, which made her a little less self-conscious than she might have been otherwise. And were those looks of open admiration coming from most of the ninjas, Zorros, firemen, and Vikings in the room when she and her best friend walked in? It was a little disconcerting, but also a little exciting, to be so obviously desired.

Finally, she saw a familiar figure moving towards them: a velvet-robed bedecked, powder-haired Jack Hodgins, carrying two martini glasses filled with a suspiciously green-colored liquid. Brennan smiled, finally understanding Angela's own blond disguise tonight. Hugh Hefner and his girlfriend. "Hey, ladies," he said, sidling up to them and handing them each a drink. He gave his fiancé a kiss. "Now, _you, _I'd know anywhere," he told her, looking her up and down and giving her a lascivious grin. "But _you…" _Looking at Brennan appreciatively. "What a difference. I _love _the whole cat thing. Mysterious…curious…fast. _Very _intriguing. All your colleagues will love it."

"Are the rest of my colleagues here?" she asked, glancing around. How would she know in this place?

"Maybe." Jack winked at her.

"That's for you to find out," Angela told her. She pushed her towards the crowd, almost making her spill her drink. "Go mingle. You shouldn't be wasting all this sex appeal on us."

Brennan glared at her while until she was swallowed up by the crowd. She had been hoping to simply have a nice time with her friends, maybe observe the culture a bit. She hadn't realized she was going to be forced to socialize with strangers. Glancing around, she realized just how strange some of these strangers were. Could she really have a serious conversation with someone who was, literally, a clown? She wondered what Booth was doing tonight, and assumed it was something that didn't involve skimpy outfits and anonymous interactions. Or maybe it did. How was she really to know what Booth was like when he wasn't in his suit and tie, upholding the law of the land? She shook off the thought.

She ended up in the corner talking to a lawyer-slash-pirate who, apparently, didn't realize that this masquerade was an opportunity for him to take on a new identity and leave the boring, stuffy shop-talk at the door. She told him she was a waitress and was relieved when her drink ran out and she had the opportunity to escape for a refill. Chuckling to herself as she maneuvered away, she thought of how proud Angela would be of her little role-play. Briefly, she caught sight of Angela and Jack making out against the living room wall. She might be blond tonight, but she was the same old Angela. Before getting another drink, she decided to find the restroom before the night wore on, people got drunker, and the bathroom got more unsanitary.

The hallway on the way there was packed, making it difficult to push her way through. Spotting an open corridor in between the people milling about, she darted towards it, hoping to avoid getting stuck there. As soon as she squeezed into the open spot, the crowd surged again, and she felt herself trapped between the wall and another partygoer. Foiled.

After a second of readjusting, the body against hers pulled away. She glanced at the person, irritated at first, then less so upon seeing the apologetic look on what she could see of his face.

"Excu…" he began to say, and then their eyes met and locked. It seemed he was now speechless. She made to tell him that it was okay, their brief run-in wasn't his fault…but found that words had left her as well. The warm brown eyes on hers were somehow stealing her voice and making warmth pool in her belly. His face was strong and perfect under his white cowboy hat; from his forehead to his eyes to his nose to…then she couldn't see anymore because it was covered with a paisley bandana that hid his mouth from her. She was briefly distracted by disappointment, then remembered that she had been trying to speak. Opening her mouth to reassure him, it became a useless gesture when the crowd moved again and they were pushed in different directions, and he disappeared from view. She had made it through the hall and was now on the other end, with more room. What the hell had just happened? She felt dazed.

"_Get moving, Tempe," _she told herself. _"Since when are you rendered immobile by an attractive man?" _The self-scoffing seemed to work, and she again propelled herself towards the restroom. After a brief wait, she had accomplished her mission. On her way back to the living room, she kept her eyes peeled for the mystery-man that had so intrigued her, but had no luck finding him. She didn't know what she'd do if she saw him, anyway. Briefly she fantasized about untying that bandana from around his face so that she could see if his lips were as perfect as the rest of him seemed to be…then, she felt a surge of guilt. Where did that come from? She was _single_...She could fantasize about anyone she wanted. Completely irrational. This was turning out to be a very confusing night.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There wasn't a day that went by that Seeley didn't threaten to shoot one of the squints. But today? Today, if he didn't find Jack Hodgins fast, quick, and in a hurry… suffice to say when Seeley DID catch up with him, he was one dead squint. To make him come to this shindig and then leave him to fend for himself? Definitely a shooting offense.

He didn't hate parties. Maybe he was getting old. Thirty-five was more of a stay-home-and-hand-out-candy age, or at least a take-the-kid-trick-or-treating age. Probably not so much a go-to-a-house-party-and-rub-up-against-random-strangers age. _Fuck it. I'll just tell Hodgins I decided to skip this thing and hang with Parker._ He started making his way for where he was pretty certain the front door would be; or at least the living room, from where he could probably find the front door. Or a squint to shoot. He spotted an opening in the crowd and headed for it, but just as he was about to reach the gap, it closed and he was shoved against another freak in a costume.

When he turned to apologize, he discovered that 'freak in a costume' would probably be the least-appropriate description of the person he'd been shoved against. She (he hoped to hell it was a she) was a knockout to say the least. From the top of her head and the jet-black waves of hair to the feathery cat-like mask she wore, to the most brilliant pair of blue eyes he'd ever seen, to the pouty lips that filled him with a sudden desire to shove her up against the wall right behind her and kiss the daylights out of her. Solid _knockout_, and he hadn't even made it below her neck.

All of this information packed into his brain at warp speed, before he even had time to really look into the gorgeous eyes that had rendered him stupid. "Excu…" he tried to talk, but when she met his eyes with hers, their bright blue color seemed to suck the words right out of his brain.

She opened her mouth like maybe she wanted to speak as well, but closed it immediately. He grinned inwardly; it was always nice to know when he rendered a woman speechless. Only in this case, she'd done the same to him, so it wasn't like he could be smooth and try to pick her up like he normally would. Dammit.

Unfortunately, the crowd again gave them a collective shove, this time in opposite directions, propelling the mystery woman toward the bathroom and Seeley toward where he had originally hoped the living room was. But maybe… maybe if he tried a little harder to find Hodgins he might run into her when she returned.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	3. A Mystifying Connection

**A/N: So we are posting this chappie from beyond the grave. Because like the rest of you (we're sure), we died after watching Bones last night. OMG EVEN 12-YEAR-OLDS CAN SEE THE B/B MAGIC! Get a clue, peoples:)**

**You like what you see here? (-Striking slutty review-getting position-). Let us know!**

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She heard someone call her name. Angela, obviously feeling the effects of the strangely colored martinis, pushed her way through the crowd and slung her arm around her. "Hey Sweetie! Are you having a good time? Isn't this so much fun?"

"I suppose," she murmured, still scanning the crowd. No white hat… Angela caught the look.

"Looking for anyone special?"

"There was this man…but…no. Not special."

'_Liar' _was written all over Ange's face. "A man?"

"Don't worry about it, Ange. I'm not going to waste my time chatting up some…_cowboy _that I'm probably never going to see again."

"Cowboy?" Suddenly, her friend was in her face, blond wig slightly askew while she grabbed Brennan's arms and looked at her with a slightly manic quality to her eyes. "Sweetie…do you think I brought you here to look at all the pretty costumes? No. I brought you here so you can be a little wild. Have fun. If you saw a hot guy you like, _go get him. _You don't have to do anything I wouldn't do…_" _Angela pulled her friend into a hug; when she pulled away, she grabbed Brennan's hand and pressed a small object into it. "But make sure you do _everything _I would." For the second time that night, Brennan was pushed into the crowd.

She looked down into her hand to see what Angela had given her. _'A condom, Ange? Oh, God.' _Feeling completely embarrassed and in over her head, she made her way through the room again. She just needed to get out of here. Where did the person who let them in take their coats? Probably upstairs. She would just go upstairs, grab her coat, and tell Ange that she had something to work on at home. Her friend might be disappointed, but she would forget after another glass or two of the green sludge. And then, Brennan could escape and not have to worry anymore about mysteries or sexy cowboys or going wild. None of it seemed very safe.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally. Jack and Ange. He'd found them on a couch in the living room. Making out. What a surprise. "Hey! Sexy cowboy! Very nice, Booth," Angela complimented from her position astride Jack's thighs.

Seeley pulled the Resistol off his head and ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. "What? I'm an old west bank robber, Ange."

"Meh. Sexy cowboy, bank robber, whatever gets you laid, Sweetie."

"How many of these has she had?" Seeley raised an eyebrow at Hodgins and motioned to the martini glass full of green goo in Angela's hand.

"Enough," Jack grinned, kissing Angela's temple. "So. Talk to anyone interesting?"

"I met this… well, I guess we didn't really meet… we ran into each other…"

"How was she dressed?" Angela interrupted.

"Like a… cat? Maybe?" Booth answered.

"A cat, huh? Like a calico in a full body get up, or what?" Angela fished.

"No… more like this… sexy… she had these… eyes… and this… _smokin'_ body… and she… she was just… _wow_, you know?" Seeley rambled.

"Well what are you standing here talking to us for? Go find her and have a little fun, Sweetie," Angela coerced.

"Angela!" Seeley exclaimed. "I can't just…"

"Yes, you can, Sweetie. And more importantly, you _should_." Angela reached between her overly-pushed-up breasts and pulled out a small object, pressing it into the palm of his hand. Seeley looked down at the bright blue package winking back up at him and jumped like it had set his hand on fire.

"Jesus Christ, Angela. A condom?"

"C'mon, Booth. Live a little. But be safe. I love you. 'Kay?" she chirped, turning the drunken grin on him.

He shook his head and gave Hodgins a pointed look. "Maybe you should cut her off."

Hodgins just laughed and waved him off. Once he'd gone, Jack turned his attention back to the blond (at least for the night) in his lap and cocked an eyebrow at her.

Angela laughed at Jack's expression. "I told you this would work. See? We didn't have to MAKE them fall in love, just put them in the right circumstance and let fate handle the rest."

"You know, with all your plotting, maybe we should have dressed up as Lucy and Ricky instead of Hef and Holly."

"Mmmm, maybe next year," Angela offered, kissing him lustfully.

"Well, honey, you've outdone yourself," Jack complimented once she let him out of the passionate kiss. "If only he knew that the cat he kept rambling about was your creation."

Angela offered Jack another drunk but gleeful smile. "I've never see Booth so… undone, have you?"

"Never. Nice work, Babe."

Angela beamed. "Thanks."


	4. Mysteriously Familiar

**A/N: We loooove you! And trust us, the one-chapter-a-day thing is harder on us than it is on you;) But there is something to be said for anticipation. As all Bones fans know.**

**Ah…sweet anticipation.**

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took awhile to get to the stairs, but once she climbed them she thankfully found the crowd was much thinner here. Now, which of these closed doors was hiding the rooms with the coats. Scanning the hallway up and down, she saw several choices of doors. Saw a few groups of costumed weirdos chatting with each other and laughing loudly and drunkenly. And…oh God…standing against the railing alone, looking down at the crowd below…a sexy cowboy in a white hat.

Looking at him with his lean but muscular body, broad shoulders, and ass looking mouth-wateringly perfect in those tight jeans, she felt that rush of warmth again, that one that felt exciting and sexy and vaguely familiar, although she couldn't place exactly who and where she had felt it before. She had an urge to run away…fuck the coat, she just needed to get _out _of here before she completely changed from Dr. Temperance Brennan, renowned forensic anthropologist, to a semi-tipsy cat-woman in heat. The urge to run away had almost taken over when he noticed her and caught her eyes again. And, once again, she was like a deer caught in the headlights under that gaze. Only this time, there was no large crowd to push them away from each other. _'Oh, shit.'_

He was looking her up and down, and she might as well have had no clothes on because crazily, it seemed he had x-ray vision and was burning his eyes right through her. When their eyes met again, she couldn't see his expression under that damn bandana, but she could have sworn a small smile touched his face. For the first time, she didn't feel like fleeing. That invisible but perceptible smile was telling—_he wanted her, too. _Satisfaction at this rose up through her and spread through her body like a drug.

Neither of them moved for a moment, each sizing up the stranger in front of them. Logic told her just to go up and talk to him if she was so attracted to him. What could it hurt? But, inexplicably, she felt as if saying one word to this man would break the spell. Obviously, he felt the same way. His eyes seemed thoughtful for a second; then considering, then resolved. He had made a decision. Walking away from the railing, he moved towards one of the closed doors in the hallway, opened it. Looked back at her one more time with a smoldering gaze. Then, he slipped inside the apparently empty room, leaving the door open a crack.

Did he want her to follow him? Obviously, he did. It only took a moment, and the words she heard in her head next were Angela's and not her own. _'I brought you here so you can be a little wild. Have fun. If you saw a hot guy you like, go get him.' _Before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, she took a deep breath, walked over, and grabbed the doorknob. When she stepped inside the room, the light briefly illuminated the shape of a bed and a pile of coats in the corner, before she shut the door behind her and was plunged into darkness. '_Where the hell is he? If I really wanted to know, I would turn on the lights. Or have left the door open.' _As long as she was being honest with herself.

And then, the only honest thing she felt was lust race through her when she felt his very hard, very male body behind her, his hands resting lightly on hips. He must have been behind the door. The bandana around his face tickled her shoulder, and she gasped lightly, her head falling back slightly. She spun around to face him. She could barely discern his shape in the darkness, let alone his face, but this was without a doubt the same man who had been pressed against her in the hallway downstairs. That same delicious, musky scent was pouring off of him and she breathed it in deeply. Again, she was struck by a sense of the familiar, which was ridiculous being that she was alone in this strange room with this strange man. But whatever memory it was evoking in the back of her mind made her feel bold. Her hands trailed up his biceps, up to his face, and untied that damn piece of fabric that was keeping her from his lips. When it fell to the floor, she ran her thumbs across that mouth, seeming to instinctively know the shape. She would have happily continued that exploration with her fingers against his heated flesh, enjoying the dampness of his lips and the rough texture of his jaw and chin. But he gave in to impatience first, yanking her towards him completely with one hand on her hip and the other in her hair, pressing their lips together in a searing kiss. And it was hot and passionate and perfect, just like she always knew it would be…should she have known she was going to be kissing a handsome stranger tonight.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dammit. Maybe she'd left. Seeley braced his arms on the banister and tried to look nonchalant, the whole time scanning the crowd for his mystery cat-woman. As he looked for her, a tight feeling crept into his chest. Something akin to… guilt? Why? He tried to shake it off to the best of his ability so he could focus his attention on finding _her_. Not seeing her, he decided again to bag it and head for the door. He wondered what Bones was up to. Was she here? She had to be home. A social situation like this, she'd be glued to Angela's side, not out mingling with the normal people. And if she _were _here, she'd be dressed completely boring – probably a witch or a ghost or something else completely unimaginative. Whatever.

He glanced down at the crowd once more, a very unsettling feeling, like he was being watched. He didn't see anyone below looking up at him, so he turned to go back downstairs. Then he saw her. Damn, she was sexy. She had a body to die for, and it was barely clothed. She wore a long-sleeved tight black top and a mini-skirt that he knew would flash him a glimpse of her panties if she bent over. He followed the most impossibly long black-tights-clad legs to the sky-high stilettos on her feet. Wow. His eyes traveled back up her body and met hers as she stood before him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth in a nervous gesture. He tried to catch her eyes, but smirked to himself to find them locked squarely on the fly of his jeans. Once she finally looked up, she smiled and blushed slightly at being caught – _good. She wanted him too. _He tried to tamp down the satisfaction coursing through his body heading straight for his pants. Maybe he _wasn't_ too old to be out tonight.

The idea to introduce himself flitted quickly through his head, but then he remembered his earlier thought that day about the mystery of the holiday. He wasn't one for one night stands, but hell. He hadn't had one since his early army days, and it wasn't like he was ever going to see this woman again. _'And SHIT she's hot,'_ his psyche reminded him. As if he needed reminding.

Seeley stepped completely away from the railing and turned to sneak into one of the bedrooms. He glanced over his shoulder at the smoldering siren standing in the middle of the hall and tried to send her a telepathic message. _'Come with me.'_ He pushed open the nearest door and slipped inside, leaving it open a crack. His heart was already racing a mile a minute as he stood behind the door, silently praying that she'd get his message and follow him in. What felt like an eon, but was probably only seconds later, the door opened again, the light from the hall falling across the bed in a large triangle. He held his breath a moment, waiting, praying that it was his mystery woman who had entered and not some drunken couple looking for a place to have sex. The door swung shut and clicked softly, and he knew from the lack of wet, smacking kisses, that it wasn't a drunken couple, but the woman he'd hoped for.

He stepped into the space directly behind her, getting as close as he could so she'd know he was there. He invaded her space, trying to inhale the scent of her and commit it to memory. This was the first time anything like this had happened to him, and the thought of how mysterious and risqué it was had him hard in an instant. He placed his hands gently on her hips and she tensed slightly, but relaxed back into him almost immediately, her head dropping back a fraction. Tightening his grip on her hips, he went in to kiss the side of her neck, but she surprised him and turned on one of those insane heels so she was facing him. He breathed deeply, wondering how he could become so intoxicated by the scent of her. It was so… familiar. Was it true what they said about lovers not meeting, but existing in each other all along? _Get a grip, Seel. Think quick fuck against the wall, not white picket fence for the rest of your life._

He bit back a groan and gripped her hips even tighter as her hands burned twin trails of fire up his biceps to his jawline, her fingertips scraping along the shadow of whiskers he hadn't bothered to shave that day. The digits of one hand went into the hair at the nape of his neck while the other hand quickly flicked loose the knot tying the bandana on his face. She pulled the paisley-print cloth free and pressed her thumbs against his lips. He resisted the urge to suck one into his mouth, instead choosing to release half his grip on her hips to fist his hand in the dark curls on her head, pulling her lips to his while he jerked her to him by her hips with the other hand.

The flames that burst in his belly were familiar, as though he'd felt her lips under his before, perhaps in a dream. Did all fantasy women kiss the same?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	5. An Erotic Mystique

**A/N: Take a deep breath...hold it...exhale. Repeat 4 to 5 times. Okay. Relaxed? Now you are ready for the smut.**

**This long enough for you?;-)**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he sucked her lower lip into his mouth and pressed his body demandingly against hers, whatever was remaining of her self-control flew out the window. Fuck, this guy knew how to kiss. Maybe if it wouldn't have been so unbelievably good, she might have been able to leave this encounter at a heated, anonymous make-out session in a strange place…one of the "hook-ups" she so often heard about. But she had never been so aroused in her life by a kiss than she was right now. Her hands groped mindlessly at his chest while his tongue plundered her mouth relentlessly. In the dark, it was all touch and taste and smell and oh my God, was he seriously wearing a shirt with snaps? Could she be that lucky? Pulling experimentally, the top one easily came undone with a 'pop.' Her fingers dipped inside and she felt a smooth, cut hardness there that told her immediately that he had a body just made for sex. That was all the convincing it took for her to simultaneously yank at his shirt and push at his body so that it was backed up against the door. His hat fell to the floor, and his shirt fell open. What a fabulous view this would be with the lights on.

No matter. Instead of her eyes, she used her mouth, trailing her way down his body to trace the muscles of his chest with her tongue. A growl vibrated in his chest against her mouth. She felt his fingers tangle in her hair, and he pulled her up, a little roughly, bringing her lips back to his and flipping her until she was the one against the door, being tasted.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The minute he kissed her, Seeley knew he was sunk. This _had_ to remain anonymous, but there was something tugging at his brain that said this encounter was far from this. He shoved it away and tried to concentrate on the feeling of her lips, her body, the way she was grabbing at him like she couldn't get enough. He pushed her a little harder against the bedroom door, grinding his hips against hers. When he tangled his tongue with hers, she groaned quietly, a sound Seeley knew he could become quickly addicted to. Her hands fisted in the material of his shirt and he knew he was about to become _very_ glad that he'd chosen a pearl snap shirt. Still, when it came open, he was a little bit surprised at her brazen behavior. As if, for some unknown reason, he hadn't expected it from her. A total stranger. What kind of sense did it make to have expectations of a total stranger?

His pondering left her an opening to switch their positions, leaving him pressed against the wall, and her initiating the tongue-tangling. With the force of her shoving him against the wall, the white Resistol was knocked to the floor. Kicking it out of the way with the toe of his boot, he caught that it was brim-up. In the army he'd been buddies with a guy from Bowman, North Dakota who would always wear a cowboy hat on his days off. When Seeley had asked him why he would always set it down brim-up, he'd say "it's so the luck doesn't fall out." Noticing his hat brim up on the floor, Seeley knew that his luck had certainly not fallen out.

The flat of her tongue against his chest was enough to drag him back from his trip down memory lane. Not knowing if he could take any more of her teasing, he growled low in his throat and dragged her lips back up to his own, fisting his hand in her hair to keep a hold of her. She squeaked slightly and he massaged the spot where he'd pulled her hair a little too roughly. He used his leverage to turn them so it was her with her back pressed against the door. He was in the driver's seat again.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brennan felt drunk on her own arousal, and it was becoming impossible to process all the sensations right now. How far was she going to let this go? Did she really just half-undress this stranger in front of her? Was she really going to allow him to work his large hands under her tight top, thumbs brushing her waist, then her ribs, then—dear sweet Lord—the undersides of her breasts? No she _wasn't _allowing it—she was _encouraging it, _crossing her arms in front of her so that she could find the edge of her shirt and yank it up over her head. It caught on her mask, which was pulled off with the shirt. It was partially a relief to be free from the confines of her upper costume, and just a little bit scary to be as exposed as she now was, the darkness of the room her only cover.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeley again had the nagging feeling that this behavior was extremely out of character for the woman in front of him. His psyche attempted to reinforce that thought, remind him to maybe take it a little slower. Something told him she was worth so much more than a quick fuck up against a bedroom door.

He snuck his hands under her tight tee shirt, gently tracing her hips, up to her ribs, and holding his breath to see if she'd slug him when he traced the undersides of her breasts. Much to his surprise, she didn't slug him – she crossed her arms in front of her and jerked the hem up and over her head, knocking her mask off in the process.

He had been about to make a beeline for her distended nipples, but instead skipped ahead to trace the lines of her now-exposed face. He cupped her cheeks softly, dragging his fingertips over the high cheekbones, reverently tip-toeing up to her temples, tracing his thumbs under her eyes. The whole package of this woman just amazed him so much; he couldn't help but pour a little of his heart into their kiss.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had expected his hands to find her breasts immediately, and her nipples had tightened in anticipation of it. However, he surprised her—rather than making a move for the flesh uncovered by her discarded shirt, he went for what was now exposed without the mask. His hands cupped her face, gently, fingertips tracing her cheekbones, her temples, around her eyes, while he kissed her sweetly.

What the hell was this? She wasn't sure what possessed him to start treating her like a lover, but it was making her tremble with the intimacy and intensity. This was _not _what she came into this room looking for—was it? She just couldn't let it go on much longer. Grasping his head firmly, she forced his lips from her own, down her throat, to the swell of her breasts that were regrettably still encased in her black lace bra…oh, there we go, he took care of that problem, fingers deftly reaching behind her, unhooking, and outlining the now-loose garment with his fingertips until he reached the straps, where one flick had them falling from her shoulders. Perfect. She very nearly fell off her own heels when she felt him press wet kisses slowly and methodically around the delicate flesh of her breasts, arousing and teasing her before he centered in on one, swollen nipple, lapping it like it was a gourmet treat before enclosing it between his lips and sucking gently. Waves of hot sensation rolled through her body and straight to her sex while she gasped and sagged a little against the wall. These shoes were _not _conducive to staying standing while experiencing one of the greatest pleasures of one's life.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apparently, it wasn't his heart she was interested in, but something a little farther south of the border. He was momentarily stunned when she pulled his lips off of hers and pushed him in the direction of her throat and chest. Fine by him. He reached around behind her and flipped the hook on the sexy lace bra she wore; a secret he was glad she'd talked Victoria out of. He deftly pulled the straps down her arms, leaving her bare for his perusal – and he planned to peruse. He kissed her, gently, wetly, sucking a little of the soft skin between his teeth, earning a hiss from her sweet lips. He wanted her to at least have a vague memory of him in the morning, and the gentle love bite would help his cause tremendously. He zeroed in on her nipple and sucked softly, the clamped-teeth hiss he'd heard moments before turning into an open-mouthed groan. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her as she sagged a little in the ridiculously high (but sexy) heels on her feet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was obviously enjoying himself, which made it all the more irritating when there was a shove against her back as someone tried to come in the door they were against. Her fantasy-lover shoved it closed again with his hands to either side of her on the door. "Sorry!" the intruder called from outside, and thankfully left them alone. Okay…they had to step this encounter up a little bit, move a little faster. That's what they were supposed to be doing anyway…hard and fast.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeley was getting quite a charge out of this encounter, as evidenced by the erection he kept grinding against his willing counterpart. An erection which was made only a little softer when one of the party-goers had the audacity to try to open the door to retrieve a coat. Seeley shoved it closed again with his hands on either side of the beautiful woman's head. Sorry, buddy. Occupado. The coat-retriever called his apology and left them alone. Coat must not have meant that much to him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took some effort on Brennan's part to undo the buckle and fly of his pants in the dark; equally, her partner-in-crime had trouble working down her tights and they ripped under his demanding fingers. She found that she didn't give a flying fuck about the damn tights, and she kicked off her shoes to pull off the shredded remnants before returning her attention to the package she had unwrapped. Pressing her hands down his back and into his pants, she squeezed the ass that she had been so entranced by while she stood on the stairs. It flexed against her touch, and she sighed her appreciation, now wanting nothing more than to dispense with his boxer-briefs and hold onto that ass while he pumped into her madly…she was briefly shocked by the power of her own lust before his own fingers made their way under her skirt, brushing against her through her panties. Thank God she had taken off the shoes. She would have fallen on her face for sure. Her hands circled around and she touched him intimately, as well, feeling satisfied as his knees buckled a little bit, like hers had. Ooohhh yes, this would do very well, she thought as she caressed the rock-hard flesh separated from her fingers by the thinnest of material. She briefly imagined falling to her knees, yanking down those underwear and showing him with her mouth just how much she appreciated him coming to this party tonight…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her nimble little fingers undid his belt buckle and the fly of his jeans impressively quickly for how dark it was in the room. He wasn't having as much luck with her tights and accidentally ripped them. He made a mental note to offer to buy her another pair. Because hey, even if he was taking part in a random hook-up in a haunted house, Seeley Booth was a gentleman.

She shrank about four inches when she kicked off her shoes in order to remove the offending tights, but when she was done he happily noticed that she was still the right height to do all the things he'd hoped she would. He sucked in a breath as her hands went up the back of the shirt he was still wearing and traced the muscles of his lower back until – holy shit – she had her hands down his pants and was roughly squeezing his ass through his boxer-briefs. Why had he worn underwear again? What an inconvenience. Right now he wanted nothing more than to have them off and gone while he slid into her slick heat and did the whole fuck-her-against-the-wall thing he had planned when she followed him into this room. And it was about time he made some strides in making that happen.

While his partner-in-crime busied herself playing ass-grab, he slid his fingers up her silky now-bare thigh and under the impossibly tight skirt. Hmm. That would perhaps have to go. But it could stay for now. His fingers were drawn to her heat like a moth to a flame, and he touched her gently through her panties. He ministered to her for only a moment before she apparently decided to get in on the game and reached her hand around to take a hold of the part of him that was begging for her gentle touch. His knees buckled slightly as she caressed him through his boxer briefs. Holy shit, she was just full of surprises.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Okay, Temperance. Think. Logic for just one second. Are you going to have sex with this man?" "Yes. Yes, I am. And if you try to stop me I will never forgive you." "Okay. Can you at least be safe?" _Fuck, fuck, fuck. Where was that condom that Ange had given her? It's not like her costume had room for pockets. To her immense relief, her partner must have been having the same muddled thoughts; she heard the crinkling sound of a foil wrapper. Good boy. For a second, she found it surprising he had been so prepared for this impromptu encounter; she wouldn't have expected that from him. Then, she reminded herself that it was illogical to have expectations of a stranger.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Slow down, Seel. Think. Think for just a second with the head on your shoulders, buddy. This is spiraling out of control and you need to make a decision. Gonna do it? Obviously. You're not as dumb as you look. At least be smart enough to protect her, man. Seeley Booth is a gentleman._ He pulled the condom Angela had given him from his back pocket and quickly kissed his mystery woman to distract her from the clinical-ness of the condom. This was supposed to be a fantasy, and the condom somehow made it a little too real-life.

He gently nudged her in the direction of the bed, intending to lay her out on her back. She surprised the hell out of him when she turned in his arms and bent over the bed facing away from him. He tried to tamp down the disappointment that rose a little at the thought of not being able to see her when he took her, and replace it with the fact that (hello?!) this was so fucking hot. Groaning slightly, he pushed the almost-too-tight skirt up and pulled her panties down. When he had her bare and exposed, he put the condom wrapper between his teeth and ripped it open. Dropping his jeans and boxer briefs, he rolled the condom into place. No turning back now.

He grasped her hips tightly and thrust into her slowly, trying to be conscientious of her delicate body, even though he wanted nothing more than to just pound into her like a man possessed. Which, maybe he was. And holy fuck, when she swayed back against him like that, she led him to believe that maybe she _wanted_ him a little possessed. Okay then. Lady's choice. He thrust deeply again, pulling her hips flush against his body. Then again. And once more. And then again and again and again. The little groans and moans emitting from her throat were driving him right up to that edge. God, this was the most fuckin' amazing thing he'd ever felt.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He gave her another of those hot, knee-weakening kisses, before grabbing at her and guiding her to the bed. On instinct, she flipped in arms and bent over the bed, facing away from him and gripping the edges with her hands. She heard him groan, felt rough-but-gentle hands pushing her skirt up her thighs and pull down her panties. Heard the rustling of his own clothes and the rip of the foil wrapper before he sheathed himself. _"Holy shit. This is actually going to happen." _And, when he took her hips in his hands and thrust into her slowly but surely, filling her to the brink, she wouldn't have had it any other way. Oh, this was just too damn good. She swayed back against him, letting him know wordlessly that she wanted this. Badly. He got the message. With a mighty pull at her hips, he was deep inside of her. _Yes. _He did it again. And again. And soon he was slamming into her at a feverish pace, tugging at her hips while he thrust into her, making them both moan at the impact of him filling her up. If anyone else was thinking about coming in, it now would be clear that this particular room was occupied and being put to very good use. If the music and conversation outside wouldn't have been so loud, the whole house might have known their business. She just couldn't help the sounds coming out of her while the pleasure built inside, and right now she couldn't bring herself to care. They were just so fuckin' good together…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He didn't want this to end. But it had to. He was going to have to give her up after tonight, which was a damn shame because the feelings sliding through his body were beyond anything he'd ever felt. He felt her tighten around him and though he'd heard of Dr. Kegel, he wanted to shake the man's hand. He was a genius. Seeley groaned and thrust into her as hard as he could. She whined her acceptance of him in her throat – he knew she was close. His fingers dragged around to the front of her and he began massaging her clit with his middle finger. Thatta girl… he felt her drop over the edge, but even if he hadn't felt it, he certainly heard it in her scream. She threw back her head and groaned deeply, bucking against him so hard he thought she'd either bruise herself or him. Feeling her spasming around him, milking him, he was unable to maintain any of his remaining control.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tempo of the encounter intensified, and she felt herself on the edge of a cataclysmic explosion. Just a little push…he swelled inside her, and his obvious excitement turned her on even more. As if sensing her closeness, he moved one hand to the front of her, rubbing tiny circles around her swollen clit. She screamed as the sparks flew through her body, tossing back her black hair and bucking back against him hard as everything in her trembled and an avalanche of hot sensation poured over her. With a cry of relief, they were coming together, branding this night and this moment and each other into their memories. Neither of them would be able to forget this.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh yeah. This was not something Seeley planned on forgetting any time soon. And he would have to remember to thank Angela and Jack for dragging him to this party. He'd ended up having a better time than he'd thought. His heart was slowing back down to a somewhere near normal pace, and he had the sudden desire to hold her. He wrapped an arm around her chest and pulled her back flush against his body. Bending his head, he pressed kisses along the side of her throat, licking lightly at the sweet sweat along her hairline. He turned her in his arms and lowered her gently to the bed. He sat beside her and stared. The room was still too black for him to discern any of her features, but he'd memorized them all with his mouth. It was as if staring at her would help him put them together in a face – like a mental Angelator. He shook the thought from his head – no more work thoughts. He kissed her slowly, lightly, and suddenly he couldn't help but speak. "You are amazing."

He got no reaction, but a shudder running through her body. _Nice, Seel. Way to keep it anonymous, buddy. Good one._

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were shaking, and she wasn't entirely certain of her taxed legs' ability to hold her up any longer. He wrapped an arm around her chest, pulled her up and covered the side of her neck with kisses before pulling himself from her and spinning her around, lowering her gently by her shoulders onto the bed. She fell backwards, still trying to catch her breath, and he sat beside her. It was still too dark to see anything other than the vague shape of him over her, but she could tell he was staring at her, studying her, as if he believed he looked hard enough, he'd have the ability to see through the dark. He leaned over her, kissing her panting lips lightly with his own. And then, in a low whisper, he spoke, the first real words of the night.

"You are amazing."

At the sound of that husky voice, she shivered violently. Reality tugged at her consciousness, and she shoved it away, hard. Why did he have to speak?

She stood, shakily, feeling around on the floor for her clothes. She found her shirt, pulled it on while she pulled down her skirt. Found her mask and her shoes, and she grabbed them in her hands, knowing that putting them on would inhibit her escape. Her hand also brushed something else…his hat. Although later she would have no idea why, she grabbed that too, and wrapped it in her coat. Her hand on the doorknob, she made to leave, then paused. In a second, she was across the room, next to him one more time, pressing her lips against his again. "So are you," she whispered honestly. Then, she stood and left for real this time, slipping out the door and into the party, where the people didn't seem so damn familiar.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somehow he had known she would bolt. As soon as the compliment was out of his mouth, he knew she'd run. Sure enough, she climbed slowly from the bed, trying to find her clothes in the dark. Apparently having them all gathered up, she went to leave, but then turned back to him. She came back, pressed her lips to his, and whispered the three sweetest words he'd ever heard. "So are you." Then, breaking the trance, she left, leaving him alone in the darkened room.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	6. A Mystery Revealed

**A/N: We told some of you we'd wait until Monday to post, but heck, we just get so darned excited. This is the last chapter of this edition--thanks so much for your interest and support of us and our story, you make this all so much fun! Don't forget, this is a series, so keep watching for the next festive chapter of our dynamic duo's journey...**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Thursday evening (November 1st; at least she'd be safe from coercion into other festivities until Thanksgiving time), Brennan sat in her office, trying to make progress on the paperwork from her and Booth's last case. Trying being the operative word. Her mind kept drifting…and then she'd pull it back with an almost audible 'snap,' but still she couldn't seem to maintain attention on the document in front of her for more than a few seconds. Shit, shit, shit. It wasn't helping that, after being very clear with Angela that she did _not _want to review the events of the previous night during the work day, her friend became completely obvious in her avoidance of the topic, purposely making the situation awkward whenever they saw each other. Not that Angela didn't have good reason to be curious. Brennan remembered what happened once she had made her way back downstairs to the party, pausing at the bottom of the stairs to gracelessly shove her shoes back on and wobble towards the door.

"_Don't you even think about escaping!" She heard Ange's voice float over the music to her ears when she almost reached the exit. Sighing, she turned to guiltily face her friend. "Temperance Brennan! You put your mask back on right now. Remember what we talked about? Mystery? Letting loose?" Angela looked around. "Did you find your cowboy?"_

"_Ange…it doesn't matter. I just need to go. It's getting a little too hot in here…" She looked longingly towards the door, silently begging her friend to let her leave unquestioned._

_Angela's head cocked to one side. "Are you okay? Here, why don't we go sit for awhile…Zack finally showed up, you can see his costume and we can talk and…"_

"_I've got to go _**now**_!" she said forcefully, and her friend stumbled back a little bit in surprise and confusion. Brennan immediately felt ashamed, but she didn't know what else to say. "I…I'll just see you in the morning, Ange," she said, turning on her heels and pulling open the door, leaving her befuddled friend behind. _

_As she escaped into the night, Angela's voice echoed faintly behind her: "Weren't you wearing tights?"_

When she reached home, the first thing she did was strip down, get into the shower, and wash her hair a total of five times before the last of the black dye swirled down the drain. When she got out, she stared at herself in the mirror for awhile—no mask or heels or makeup, just Temperance Brennan, laid bare with her light hair. Not mysterious, not exotic. Just a normal person who did a crazy thing. And in the morning, before she had left for work, she went to work putting away the remnants of her costume, which she had thrown in a pile on the floor in her bedroom as soon as she had got home. Some of this stuff she could never imagine wearing again: she very nearly had to laugh at how obscenely small that skirt was. She tossed it in her wash basket, along with the top and the jacket that she had worn. As the jacket unfolded as it sailed through the air, the object that she had hidden in there tumbled out and fell to the floor. She stared at it for a minute before picking it up, as if worried it might bite her if she touched it. That damn white Resistol cowboy hat. Why had she taken it? _"Admit it, Tempe. You just slept with him so you could get the hat." "Very funny. Ha Ha." _A million memories poured through her at that second—his eyes meeting hers for the first time that night in the hallway from under the brim of that hat, his solid body poised against the railing while he scanned the crowd below (for her! He had to be looking for her, right?), the feel of his hands grasping at her hips while he slammed into her with an intensity she had never experienced before…she tossed the hat onto her made bed like it was red hot and quickly left for her lab. _"Stop thinking about him."_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fuck it. He wasn't getting anything done. He hadn't gotten anything done all damn day. He wasn't sure why, but he hadn't even gone over to the lab to see Bones. She was probably busy anyway. Stone-age warriors or something. For about the six hundred and thirty millionth time that day, his mind drifted back to the events of the previous evening.

He'd sat alone in that bedroom after mystery woman had fled, in completely unfamiliar surroundings, but somehow now he knew he'd never be able to burn the image out of his brain. The first time they'd had sex. It had been anonymous, fast sex in some random bedroom in some random house. Not how he'd pictured it going down. _And again, Seeley, do you always have expectations of complete strangers?_ Something about her had just been so… familiar. He just couldn't put his finger on it, and that really rankled his FBI agent side. He'd dressed slowly and quietly, finally flipping on the lights when he was finished to find his hat gone. She'd taken his hat. And if he was honest with himself, a tiny piece of his heart.

When he'd finally found the composure to leave the room, the first person he'd run into was Jack, coming out of the upstairs bathroom.

"_What's up, Dude? Where'd Dr. --- uh, did you find the girl you were looking for?"_

"_Uh, yeah," he'd replied distractedly. "Listen, man, I really need to get out of here. I promised Parker I'd help him organize his candy tonight and it's almost his bedtime. I gotta go."_

"_Are you sure? You okay to drive?"_

"_Yeah, I didn't drink much, I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" _

"_Sure. Tomorrow. Later, man." Jack had looked at him curiously._

"_See ya."_

He'd driven to Rebecca's to find Parker nearly asleep on the couch, still in his costume as Dash from "The Incredibles." He scooped the little boy up and took him to his room and tucked him into bed, promising to help him organize his candy that weekend when he was at Seeley's. Still distracted, he'd barely acknowledged his ex-girlfriend when she asked if everything was okay as he left. He'd assured her he was fine, knowing it was far from true.

He'd gotten home and quickly stripped, climbing into the shower to wash any remnants of the mysterious evening and the amazing woman down the drain. He scrubbed and scrubbed for several minutes (not understanding why he couldn't get the scent of her off his body) until he figured it out. The scent, like the room, was ingrained in the recesses of his mind. He got out of the shower and dried off, wrapping the towel around his waist. He entered the bedroom and kicked at the pile of clothes on the floor. _Wash them. Wash them and then back to the back of the closet they go, Seeley. And this time? DON'T take them out again._

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been amazing sex, she acknowledged. Really stellar, hot, _fabulous _sex. And even she was mystified why the thought of it sent her into a near-panic, but all she knew was that right now she had never been so anxious to get back to her normal life of labs and science and bones. So because of that, she was doing her very best to push the thought of her sexy cowboy from her mind.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He'd finally decided to run over to the lab, since he wasn't going to get anything done. Checking his watch, he noticed it was long past the time he should be going home, but he just wanted to run by the Jeffersonian real quick. He made his way through the lab, his shoes clicking softly against the cement floor. Seeley stopped in the doorway of her office, drinking his partner in with his eyes. She was seated in front of her computer, working diligently on something. The recessed lights above her glowed softly off the natural red streaks in her hair as she chewed her bottom lip in deep concentration. The familiar feel of the previous night came back to him and he shook it off as best he could before he spoke.

"You know, staring at the computer like that is really bad for your eyes."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the male voice in her office. She had the sudden, crazy thought that her fantasy man at the party had somehow tracked her down and was here to blow her cover…"See this woman you all respect so much? She is really a sex-crazed maniac. And I have the hickies to prove it…"

But of course, that thought _was _crazy. She saw her partner in the doorway of her office, and looking slowly up towards him, willed herself not to look directly into his eyes. He couldn't _really _read all her dirty little secrets by looking at her—and even if he could, what should she care?…but logic hadn't exactly been her strong point in the past 15 hours, had it? Her voice sounded guilty, even to her. "Hey, Booth."

"Trick or treat, Bones," he said wryly, entering and dropping down onto her couch. He looked tired. _Very _tired.

"Halloween is over," she reminded him.

"Not for me," he murmured, and she barely heard him.

"Come again?"

He looked at her as if surprised the words had actually come out of his mouth. "Nothing." He rubbed his eyes. "Have you finished that paperwork?"

"No. You want to help?" she asked hopefully. He couldn't possibly be as distracted as she was right now. He would accomplish this much faster than she could.

He sighed. "I'm gonna starve soon if I don't eat, Bones. And you're gonna turn into a skeleton if you don't get out of here."

Her head _was _starting to throb a bit, whether it was from staring at the computer or from trying desperately to forget about the events of last night. Maybe having some company would help distract her. "You want to go back to my place and get take-out while we work? At least it would be a change of scenery…" As soon as the words left her mouth, her brain spoke up vehemently. _'Being with _**him **_is not going to distract you from last night, Tempe.' _What the hell? Usually she was pretty pleased with the way her mind worked, but right now the internal commentary was becoming downright annoying. And it made no sense. Booth was her friend. Time with friends was always relaxing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The words "back to my place" reverberated off the walls of his brain for a long time. He had the distinct feeling that yes, indeed, he _would_ like to go back to her place, but not for food. And there was that damn feeling again. What in the hell was it? Suddenly, all he wanted was to explain to her what he felt, what "back to my place" was meaning to him and ask her if she had had any strange experiences the night before. Something stopped him; however, and he just accepted her offer. "Yeah, I guess that would be okay."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The suggestion seemed to throw him a little bit. "Um…I…" He looked around the office almost as if he was trying to find an escape. Then, finally: "Yeah, I guess that would be okay."

Very strange. "You okay?"

"Fine. Come on. Shut down. Pack up." Standing, he paced a little nervously by the door.

Well, apparently she wasn't the only person who was a little off today. She shut down her computer and gathered up her things, casting curious glances at him every so often. When she had everything together, she flipped off the lights in the office and walked past him into the open lab. And as she brushed by him, she breathed in the cologne that stood in stark contrast to the antiseptic smell of this building. Whirling around, she stared at him, and found him staring back. _'There is no such thing as déjà vu there is no such thing as déjà vu there is no such thing as déjà vu…'_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He waited as patiently as he could while she shut down her computer and got her stuff together, tapping his fingers lightly against the couch. He stood and moved to the door as she flipped the lights off and walked past him into the lab. As soon as her scent wafted past him, the familiar feeling liquefied his senses. She turned and stared at him, as he stared back, wondering if the thought running through his head was visible on his face:_ 'Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit…'_

He told himself it was nothing. The feelings settling in his stomach were nothing – the panic, dread, (and was that arousal?) were in his head. Just like the smell. Stuck in his head so he only _thought_ Bones smelled like _her_.

After a gulp, he found his voice. "Something wrong, Bones?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her throat felt dry. "Nothing," she croaked, shaking her head hard. What the hell was the matter with her? Forcing her legs to move again, she headed again towards the door. As they left together, she pointedly waved at Angela, her stood outside her own office with her arms crossed, watching their departure with interest. Her friend simply raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement of her wave. Apparently unhappy with her leaving and keeping what happened the night before a mystery.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ever since she'd walked past him in the doorway of her office, Seeley had felt… off. _Your damn ROCKER, apparently, Booth. You _know_ what this is, dumbass._ He quieted the voice again and went back to work in Bones' apartment. He was reading over her shoulder at what she had written and couldn't help but smile to himself. "Why do you have to use such big words?"

"Uh, because they're scientifically accurate?

"Well, _yeah_, but you do know that I'm not the only one who doesn't understand all that scientific jargon crap, right? Jurors, cops, judges, none of them get it either."

"Fine. Any suggestions? Should I replace patella with kneecap? Maybe change femur to leg bone?"

Seeley sighed heavily. "No. Never mind."

"Are you sure you're okay, Booth?"

"I'm fine. Little tired. Long night last night. Let's just get this finished."

They went back to work in silent companionship, the occasional 'clink' of his beer bottle against the glass coffee table the only sound in the room. He would sneak occasional glances at her, wondering if the fleeting thought he'd had before was true. Every so often, she'd look up and catch him and he'd look away, embarrassed. He really wanted to ask her about what she'd done the night before, but then he'd have to find out if '_the familiar feeling' _(as he'd taken to calling it) was all in his head or not. And he wasn't really sure he was ready for that.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They worked for a good portion of the rest of the evening, between bites of take-out and occasional bickering about how to write a scientifically accurate case summary that laymen would understand. Although she typically felt quite at ease with Booth, she felt more tense than usual tonight, unable to make the smallest of small talk. She knew it would be polite to ask him what he did with his Halloween night. But she didn't want to know. Probably because he would then ask her about hers. And what would she say then? From the small looks he kept darting her way, it would appear that her odd mood tonight was apparent.

It was obvious that he was getting more tired by the second, as he was constantly yawning and rubbing his face. Poor guy. He must have had a rough night, too. "Why don't you go, Booth, it's getting late. We're almost done here, I can finish up."

"Bones…"

"You aren't going to be in any shape to drive home," she pointed out.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reluctantly, he realized that she was right. His brain and body were both overtaxed at this point. "Point taken. I'm gonna go splash some water on my face first, 'kay?

She nodded her agreement, and he rose from the couch, headed to the first door on his left. Entering the bathroom, he turned the cold water on and let it pool up a little in the sink. Cupping his hands beneath the stream, he splashed the icy liquid on his cheeks, shaking his head to get rid of the slightly fuzzy feeling. When he decided he head was as cleared as it was going to get (which wasn't saying much), he shut the tap off and moved to grab the hand towel hanging on the chrome rack next to the door.

He patted his face dry and as he was going to hang the towel back up, something sitting on the bed in Brennan's bedroom caught his eye, through the cracked-open door. Maybe if it had been brim up (like it was supposed to be) he never would have noticed. But sitting on her burgundy down comforter (with all of its luck spilling out) was his white Resistol cowboy hat. Oh. Shit.

_I'm sorry, you're surprised by this? You seriously mean to tell me you didn't know it was her this entire time? I'm calling bullshit, Seel. Completely and totally the biggest pile of crap you have ever tried to tell me._ He stood frozen in place for a moment, then strode quickly across the threshold to her bedroom, her sanctuary, to get _his_ hat back. The moment he was in the bedroom, _the familiar feeling_ struck him in the head and heart with the force of an entire fleet of Mack trucks. _Like I was saying. You knew it was her._ He grabbed the hat off the bed and quickly fled back to the bathroom, but this time his good buddy _familiar feeling_ came with him. And no matter how he tried, he couldn't shake it.

He flipped the bathroom light off quickly and walked out, trying to calm his racing heart on the way back to the living room. He couldn't do it by the time he got there, so he stood for a few minutes, watching her on the couch, hands over her eyes like she was trying to block something out. He opened his mouth to speak no fewer than eight times with nothing coming out before she finally looked up at him.

"What?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As he went to the restroom, she collapsed back onto the couch, closing her eyes and covering them with her hands. This thing with the sexy stranger was driving her crazy, really bothering her. Maybe, once they both were more well-rested, she should talk to Booth about it. Ange was a great friend, but would try to minimize this situation and talk her out of her guilt. A small part of her subconscious laughed hysterically at the mere suggestion that she talk to Booth about her sexy cowboy. _"Shut up," _she told her subconscious indignantly. Lying there, trying to drive all the confusing thoughts from her mind, she suddenly got that unsettling prickly feeling of having someone stare at you. What the hell? There was no one here but Booth…

Struggling to a sitting position, she looked over her shoulder to the hallway that he had last disappeared into. Sure enough, there he stood. Staring at her with saucer-shaped eyes. He looked awake now.

"What?" she said, now feeling a little annoyed. She had had enough weirdness for one evening. He didn't move, and she was about ready to snap at him when her eyes fell down to his hands and saw what he was carrying. A white cowboy hat. And he was holding it like…like it _belonged _to him.

"Where…?" he asked, trailing off.

"What…? she started, having no idea how to finish her question.

"Why do you…?" He was having no more luck than she was with the words thing.

They were silent for a second, their jaws both hanging a little slack. Thoughts rushed through her at lightening speed. Finally, she whispered. "You?"

He didn't say anything, but after a moment, nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Oh, god. I…I didn't know." But as soon as those words left her lips, her logic burst forth in a torrent through her psyche. And it was pissed about having been kept in check for so long. _"Bullshit, Tempe. Bull_shit. _How many times have you watched him? Seen his shape and stature? Observed his mannerisms? How many hundred cups of coffee have you looked into his eyes over? How many times have you breathed in his scent while he leaned over you, watching you work? How well do you know this man? And you are trying to say that you didn't know who it was that you were fucking? Oh, that's a good one Tempe. That's why you bolted when you heard his voice. You already knew…but that just confirmed it. And that's why you've been so damned nervous around him…"_

"No," she said out loud forcefully. That was ridiculous. It was dark. They were in costume. She couldn't have known. Her logic laughed at her. _"What's ridiculous is that you needed a costume party as an excuse to fuck your partner. Very clever." _She sank back into the couch, her face pink with a thousand different emotions of which she couldn't identify one. He walked over to her slowly and sat down beside her, gripping the hat white-knuckled in his fists.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She didn't? She really didn't know?_ God. You two. Lying to yourselves like this. You know she's lying, Seeley. To herself, at least, if not you. I'd bet your left nut on it._

"It's…I…don't worry about it. It was just one crazy night, Bones." He couldn't stand to see the 'fight or flight' etched on her face. He reached out for her hand and she pulled it back like it had shocked her. "We were drinking, and out of our element, and…and…we got caught up in the mystery, I guess. But that doesn't change anything…we're still Booth and Bones, right?"

As he was saying the words, he was remembering how very un-Booth and un-Bones they had been the night before. How she'd clawed at him like even if she climbed inside him it wouldn't be close enough. How she'd thrusted her hips back into him like she wanted him to take her and fuck her and make her scream. How she'd gripped his cock inside her so tightly he thought his head would explode. How soft her hands had felt against his jaw. How tightly she'd fisted her hands in his shirt, and then in his hair. How wet she'd felt under his fingers. How her body had opened to him, almost as if it were begging him to fill it up. And her kiss... And with all of that, and the fact that her body was completely foreign to him, how _right_ it had all felt.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the words were coming out of his mouth she was remembering being bent over that bed in a strange room, those hands pulling at her panties and catching at her hips and circling her body to rub her in just the right way to make her explode…

"You're right," she burst out. "This is…really awkward. But…yeah. We just have to forget it."

His face was unreadable. She couldn't seem to stop babbling.

"Besides…it was just sex. It didn't have anything to do with…_us, _really. It was just the mystery."

"The mystery," he agreed. _Liar alert! Liar alert!_ Her eyes stayed locked on his for a long, uncomfortable minute. Those warm, brown eyes. The ones that she knew so well. The ones that she couldn't miss. "We going to be okay?"

She paused. They had to be okay. She needed them to be okay. She nodded. "Yes," she said firmly. "I mean…let's just think of it as what it was. Two strangers. One night. One memory."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_What did you expect, Seeley? Her to say 'no, not one night! I love you! I can't live without you! Let's get married and have half a dozen babies!' Wrong-o, bud. This is Dr. Temperance Brennan we're talking about. You're going to have to go with the ol' 'fake-it-till-you-make-it' theory on your feelings for this girl._

He smiled at her as best he could, the familiar feeling he'd been having tightening into something else in his chest. He knew he liked his partner, so much… but was there more to it than that?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His smile looked a little sad. "Sure is a small world, isn't it, Bones?" Sighing, he looked down at the hat in his hands.

"You can have it back," she stated almost too quickly, seeing his glance at the hat. He very nearly laughed at that.

"I should go."

"You should," she agreed.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

"Guy hug?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He could tell she was hesitating for just a second. But then she took a deep breath and stepped closer, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. This was different from the night before, but still good. They would go back to being co-workers. Partners. Buddies. But there would always be a little part of them that would know they were far from anonymous strangers. Far, far from anonymous strangers.

He smiled again, inhaling her scent, committing it to his memory as _Bones_ instead of _her_. He stroked his hands up her back, giving her a gentle squeeze before he spoke. "Just so you know…" he hesitated, not knowing if he should stay the course with what he was thinking or try to bullshit his way out of what he'd been about to say. He went with the former. "We don't ever have to talk about what happened again… but I'm not going to forget it."

He squeezed her to him one more time, then pulled back and gave her his most winsome grin. As he walked out of the apartment, he knew he wanted to make sure she never forgot either. He let the door click softly behind him, knowing full well he'd left his hat sitting on her couch.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She hesitated. Then she took a deep breath, and stepped into his arms. And that body was just as strong and large and _him _as she remembered. Despite herself, she sighed and relaxed into him. God, she _loved _that smell…

"Just so you know…" She was surprised when she heard his voice in her ear. "We don't ever have to talk about what happened again…but I'm not going to forget it." And with one final squeeze, he pulled back, smiled, and headed for the door. Leaving that damn hat still lying on her couch. So she wouldn't be able to forget, either.

When the door clicked shut behind him, she stared at it for a long while. The mystery was over. The puzzle was solved. But somehow…she felt more mystified than ever.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N: What will become of our star-crossed lovers? The answer is just a holiday away:-)**

**We love you!**


End file.
